BFI LONDON FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES INDUSTRY EVENTS PROGRAMME FOR FILMMAKERS AND INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS

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1 PRESS INFORMATION BFI LONDON FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES INDUSTRY EVENTS PROGRAMME FOR FILMMAKERS AND INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS 4-15 October 2017 Thursday 14 September 2017: The 61 st BFI London Film Festival in partnership with American Express unveils details of its industry programme, offering UK and international delegates a broad range of events. Aiming to stimulate debate, address areas of policy key to growth, share knowledge, generate business opportunities, as well as develop and showcase talent, the programme runs alongside the Festival s industry services for delegates. Guests such as Oscar and BAFTA-winning producer Iain Canning, Oscar -winning costume designer Jenny Beavan, CEO Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences Dawn Hudson, and the first female VFX Supervisor to win an Oscar, Sara Bennett alongside Ben Roberts, Director BFI Film Fund, Daniel Battsek, Director of Film4 and Rose Garnett, Director of BBC Films, will join industry partners and experts in their field to contribute to a rich and varied programme. Highlights include a look at the casting conundrum and how to secure stars without finance in place and vice versa; a discussion about the future of public film funding and commissioning with BFI Film Fund, BBC Films and Film4; a practical seminar on improving inclusion and diversity of crews; an event focused on addressing equality for disabled film and television talent; a panel examining how to encourage more women to enter the VFX industry; a behind the scenes look at the BFI Film Fund; an exploration of ways to attract the much sought-after 16-30s audience; a skills session focused on the art of costume design with creatives at the top of their game; and a session taking stock of the impact of Brexit as negotiations continue. These events are in addition to the previously announced LFF Connects and Screen Talks with participants including Julian Rosefeldt and Cate Blanchett, David Fincher, Ian McEwan, Demis Hassabis, Nitin Sawhney, Johan Knattrup Jensen and Takashi Miike. (More Screen Talks to be announced in the lead-up to the Festival). Industry accreditation deadline: 5pm, Friday 15 September 2017.

2 LFF INDUSTRY PANEL EVENTS The Chicken and the Egg Problem - Casting and the Greenlight Producers are regularly faced with the casting conundrum: financing can only be secured with a star player attached, but how can you get a star without financing? Hosted by the Casting Society of America s London branch and Directors UK, the panel includes former Screen Star of Tomorrow John Maclean (Slow West) who secured Michael Fassbender for his debut feature, the Oscar and BAFTAwinning Iain Canning (Lion, The King s Speech, Shame), producer Daisy Allsop (Orthodox, Tell it to the Bees), casting directors Lucinda Syson (Wonder Woman, Blade Runner 2049, Gravity) and Debbie Williams (LFF May Fair Gala Film Stars Don t Die in Liverpool, Spectre, Skyfall, Caravaggio) who will discuss the casting director-producer relationship, strategies for negotiating cast without financing in place and how the producer, the casting director and the financier can work towards creative solutions during development. (Friday 6 October, 15:30-17:00, Picturehouse Central, Screen 4) The Future of Public Film Funding With the public funding landscape undergoing significant change over the last couple of years, the launch of the BFI s new five year strategy in November 2016 and major executive changes at BBC Films and Film4, Daniel Battsek, Director of Film4, and Rose Garnett, Director of BBC Films, join Ben Roberts, Director of the BFI Film Fund, to talk about the respective strategies for supporting films and filmmakers, together with the challenges and opportunities facing independent film. (Wednesday 11 October, 15:30-17:00, Picturehouse Central, Screen 2) Who s in your Crew? Presented in association with the Production Guild, this is a practical session on improving inclusion and diversity behind the camera. The event will provide information on inclusive hiring practices and positive action, as well as guidance on connecting with organisations who train and help to source talent from under-represented groups, plus a series of case studies and inspirational talks from those who are successfully impacting change. Participating organisations include Mama Youth Project, The Film Crew, Reel Angels, Triforce Creative Network, Modern Tales, Iconic Steps, Four Corners and the BFI Film Academy. (Monday 9 October, 15:30-17:00, Picturehouse Central, Screen 4) Recreating Reality: the Road to the VFX Oscar in association with AMPAS The UK, and particularly London, has established itself as a global centre of VFX excellence, and this stellar panel will discuss the growing role of VFX and the evolution of VR and AR. It also offers an opportunity to examine the judging criteria for this sought-after Academy Award and asks how more women can be encouraged to enter the industry and climb the ladder to VFX supervisor. Dawn Hudson, CEO Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, joins a line-up of Oscar -winners including Milk s Sara Bennett, the first female VFX Supervisor to win an Oscar (Ex Machina) alongside twotime Oscar -winners Andrew Lockley, (Intersteller, Inception) from Double Negative and Neil Corbould (Gravity, Gladiator) from Framestore. (Friday 6 October, 09:30-10:30, Vue Leicester Square, Screen 6) Inside the BFI Film Fund Using funds from the National Lottery, the BFI is the largest public supporter of film in the UK, with BFI2022, the BFI s new five year plan for UK film, setting out its commitment to supporting a broader range of innovation, work, talent and audiences. This event will take you into the heart of the Film Fund with insights into the range of support and funding opportunities available through the BFI including new approaches to talent development, documentary, and emerging forms and platforms. Find out from Ben Roberts, Director of the BFI Film Fund, and his team what they are looking for in the films and filmmakers they support and how they make their decisions. This is an opportunity to quiz the team about the nuts and bolts of the process, the structure of the decision-making, and hear

3 about the kind of films that make them tick. (Tuesday 10 October, 15:30-17:00, Picturehouse Central Screen 2) Busting the Bias: Everyday inclusion of disabled people on and behind the screen In partnership with 104 Films, Carousel and Beacon Hill Arts, the Festival will shine a light on the under-representation of disabled people on and off screen in film and television, at films and programmes featuring and being made by disabled talent, the difficulties facing disabled people finding work in the industry and the opportunities inherent in employing people from a more inclusive talent pool. Participants engaged so far include the award-winning comedian, speaker, actress and writer Francesca Martinez; the General Secretary of Equity, Christine Payne; director Jane Gull and actor Steven Brandon (My Feral Heart); actor David Proud; Ayesha Casely-Hayford of Act for Change; Shannon Murray, of disability talent agency visable People; Alex Usborne of 104 Films (Notes on Blindness, Dawn of the Dark Fox); Michael Smith and Tom Stubbs, directors of Dawn of the Dark Fox; Ramy El Bergamy, On-Screen Diversity Executive C4; Tunde Ogungbesan, Head of Diversity, Succession and Inclusion, BBC, and Kim Tserkezie, actress, writer producer & MD of Scattered Pictures. (Friday 13 October, 10:00-12:30, Blue Room, BFI Southbank) Feathers, Fabrics and Fantasy Worlds: the Magic of Costume Design The UK s leading costume designers delve into the art of their craft, exploring the creative approach to sci-fi, historical/real-life and fantasy feature films. Oscar -winner Jenny Beavan (Mad Max: Fury Road, The Kings Speech), Alexandra Byrne (Elizabeth: The Golden Age, Guardians of the Galaxy) and Oscar -nominated Anna B. Sheppard (Captain America: The First Avenger, Schindler's List), will provide invaluable insights into working with directors and the wider creative team, their differing approach to each film style, how their creativity varies with each genre and what effect digital technology is having on their craft. (Thursday 12 October, 15:30-17:00, Picturehouse Central, Screen 4) Does Gen X Give a damn about the big screen? What happens to cinema in the future when now 90% of year-olds in the UK own a smart phone and more than half of them consider it to be the most important device for accessing the internet? This, coupled with the perception that 'everything is available online' strikes fear in the hearts of film distributors, exhibitors, filmmakers, film festivals and critics whose professions are fuelled by a passion for the big screen experience and whose business models remain dependent on the continued success of the theatrical market. We bring together a group of inspirational changemakers including critic, filmmaker and provocateur, Charlie Lyne; writer and co-founder of Reel Good Film Club, Grace Barber-Plentie; and culture writer and film critic for The Observer, Simran Hans. This will be a frank and provocative session on whether the film industry needs to reimagine its model for engaging younger audiences. (Thursday 5 October, 11:00-12:30, Blue Room, BFI Southbank) Understanding Brexit: What we know, what we don't yet know and what we are doing about it We look ahead to the UK s departure from the European Union and what it means for UK film landscape and the UK s status as a leading international film and television destination. Hear what we know, what more we need to know and what s at stake. BFI Head of International Isabel Davis will host a panel comprising Ted Shapiro, Partner at Wiggin LLP s Brussel s office, David Jevons, Partner at the Economics Consultancy Oxera, James Hickey, CEO of the Irish Film Board and Harriet Finney, the BFI s new Director of External Affairs. (Thursday 5 October, 15:30-17:00, Picturehouse Central, Screen 4)

4 LFF SUPPORTING EMERGING TALENT In partnership with the BFI Film Fund, the Festival s talent development programme is led by Matimba Kabalika, Talent Development Manager, BFI NETWORK, and sees emerging writers, directors and producers from across the UK participate in masterclasses, screenings, networking and one-to-ones with visiting UK and international filmmakers and executives whose films are screening at the Festival. This year s cohort will comprise bold, original and dynamic voices in filmmaking who are exploring diverse experiences, challenging the status quo and disrupting conventional narratives. (Wednesday 4-Monday 9 Oct) IWC Schaffhausen Filmmaker Bursary Award in association with the BFI Returning for the second year, the Bursary again supports exceptional new and emerging Britishbased writers, directors, or writer/directors whose first or second feature film premieres at the Festival and will be presented at BFI s biennial fundraiser LUMINOUS on 3 October. The filmmakers shortlisted for the Award will be announced on 19 September at an event at BFI Southbank. The 50,000 Award is designed to provide the chosen filmmaker with the freedom and time to develop both themselves and their projects ensuring their future success Screen UK Stars of Tomorrow Continuing the success of the Festival s partnership with Screen International s Screen Stars of Tomorrow, this year s crop of the UK and Ireland s newest and most exciting actors, directors, writers and producers, will be introduced to the industry at a special networking reception. The Stars will also benefit from an exclusive casting masterclass with US casting directors Matthew Lessall, Monika Mikkelsen, Suzanne Smith, Luci Lennox, Nancy Bishop and Sarah Trevis on internationalism and the decisions facing an actor about where to be based for their career progression. This will be followed by the Screen Stars of Tomorrow dinner, hosted by British Council and supported by CSA, to introduce the Stars to leading lights in the industry attending the Festival. Screen has a strong trackrecord of identifying talent well before they became household names, with previous Stars including David Oyelowo, James McAvoy, Gemma Arterton, John Boyega, Benedict Cumberbatch, Emily Blunt, Noel Clarke, Dominic Cooper, Carey Mulligan, Riz Ahmed, Sophie Okonedo and Eddie Redmayne. ANNUAL LFF INDUSTRY EVENTS Experimenta As the UK celebrates India in a year of cultural exchange, we will focus on South Asian artist moving image (AMI) with a guest-curated programme by Shai Heredia. The Experimenta strand at the Festival, programmed with Lux, enables global AMI practitioners to share their work with audiences, providing deeper understanding of this diverse art-form. There will be opportunities for public audiences and filmmakers to engage with international artists via special Salons; for audiences and AMI practitioners with work in the Festival to engage with issues raised through the artists works; a panel debate Anatomy of a Film Production looking at all stages in the production of one of the feature length works in the Festival; and in a unique partnership with Film London s FLAMIN, there will be a Pitch Event for Artist Filmmakers with a 1,000 development prize and a development workshop with FLAMIN and the BFI Film Fund. Film London Production Finance Market and Micro Market The Festival continues its partnership with Film London and the Film London Production Finance Market (PFM), a two-day event facilitating over 800 face-to-face meetings between producers and financiers from the international marketplace, to foster relationships and source financing for specific projects. The event comprises a keynote address, panel discussions and a producers

5 workshop. The Film London Micro Market offers 30 emerging filmmakers the chance to connect with potential financiers for projects budgeted at 1m and under. The PFM and Micro Market are supported by the Mayor of London, Creative Europe, Creative Skillset, the Department for International Trade and the BFI. Market attendance is by invite only Previously announced: LFF CONNECTS & SCREEEN TALKS The acclaimed LFF Connects series returns with a programme of agenda-setting talks from the world s leading artists and thinkers who are working at the intersection of film and other creative industries, while the Festival's acclaimed Screen Talks series will welcome some of the most exciting international actors and directors in contemporary cinema to discuss their body of work and are open to both industry delegates and the public to attend. LFF CONNECTS: JULIAN ROSEFELDT & CATE BLANCHETT Artist Julian Rosefeldt is renowned for his visually opulent and meticulously choreographed moving image artworks. Inspired equally by art, film, architecture and the history of popular culture, he creates complex multi-screen installations that carry viewers into surreal, theatrical realms. Here he is joined by BFI Fellow Cate Blanchett to discuss their collaboration on the critically acclaimed, 13- channel video installation Manifesto (in the Festival s Create strand), a deconstruction of art manifestos and a call for original thought, which has been adapted and reassembled as a 90-minute feature and receives its European Film Premiere at the Festival. (Friday 6 October, 21:00, NFT1) LFF CONNECTS: NITIN SAWHNEY Nitin Sawhney is firmly established as a world-class multi-hyphenate artist producer, composer, multi-instrumentalist and DJ. He has composed for multiple forms, from film and videogames to dance and theatre. Highly prolific, his collaborations include some of the world s leading orchestras and songwriters, including Paul McCartney, The London Symphony Orchestra, A R Rahman, Brian Eno, Sinéad O Connor, Anoushka Shankar, Cirque Du Soleil and Akram Khan. Having composed the score for the Festival s Opening Night Gala film Breathe, he is currently collaborating with that film s director Andy Serkis on the upcoming Jungle Book. (Saturday 7 October, 14:45, Vue7) LFF CONNECTS: IAN MCEWAN One of the greatest modern British writers, Ian McEwan made a name for himself writing dark and gripping novels, often notorious for their extreme themes. His work has also explored the impact of unusual situations on ordinary people and examined how social and political issues determine personal lives. With his latest adaptation On Chesil Beach as this year s Love Gala, we re delighted to have McEwan join us to discuss the different disciplines of writing for the page and the screen and explore why his fiction continues to have such enduring appeal for big screen storytellers. (Sunday 8 October, 15:45, Curzon Soho) LFF CONNECTS: JOHAN KNATTRUP JENSEN Based in Copenhagen, the progressive production studio Makropol strives to create transforming stories with tools from the new digital age. Their credo is art can drive innovation and innovation can be art. Makropol employs virtual reality technology to test the boundaries of film narrative. Building on traditional visual storytelling, they introduce new opportunities for audiences to interact with plotlines and characters, and one another. Johan Knattrup Jensen graduated from the progressive alternative film school Super16 in 2012 and is considered to be among the pioneers of cinematic virtual reality. Here, he leads a masterclass on Makropol s most significant virtual reality projects,

6 highlighting the discoveries and detailing the challenges that have determined their approach to cinema. (Tuesday 10 October, 18:45, NFT3) Johan s VR pre-natal dream piece Mother s Ghost which examines what unborn babies might be dreaming of, will be free to experience daily at BFI Southbank during LFF. LFF CONNECTS: DAVID FINCHER Director David Fincher, whose films Zodiac and Se7en explored the psychology of serial killers, presents another probing look into the psyche of some of America's most infamous sociopaths with his upcoming Netflix series Mindhunter. One of the most revered commercial, music video and feature film directors of a generation Fincher began his career making pop promos with some of the world s most influential artists from Madonna to Michael Jackson He has also directed a series of iconic ad campaigns major international brands. As a feature filmmaker he has few peers, with a back catalogue including Fight Club, The Social Network, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Mindhunter marks Fincher s return to the small screen after overseeing House of Cards for Netflix. We re delighted to welcome Fincher to the BFI London Film Festival discuss Mindhunter in the context of his career and the recent boom in long-form episodic drama. (Tuesday 10 October, 21:00, NFT1) LFF CONNECTS: DEMIS HASSABIS Demis Hassabis, the co-founder of renowned artificial intelligence (AI) lab DeepMind, is recognised as one of the world s smartest thinkers in his field. DeepMind is on a scientific mission to push the boundaries of AI, developing programmes that can learn to solve any complex problem. Greg Kohl s documentary AlphaGo (in the LFF Create strand), details how DeepMind s AlphaGo algorithm beat a world champion at the notoriously difficult Chinese board game Go. Demis Hassabis will discuss his journey from junior chess champion and videogame creator to world-renowned AI pioneer. He will also talk about the Go challenge and speculate on how AI will shape the future. (Wednesday 11 October, 15:45, NFT3) LFF SCREEN TALK: TAKASHI MIIKE The revered Japanese director Takashi Miike achieved global prominence with his astonishingly graphic films Audition and Ichi the Killer in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Now with a hundred films under his belt, the prolific filmmaker has defied all attempts to pigeon-hole him as a niche director courted by film festivals but also a big-budget hit-maker. Best known for over-the-top violence and gore, his films cover the gamut of genres and styles including light-hearted children s films (Zebraman and The Great Yokai War) period pieces (Sabu) subdued road movies (The Bird People in China) and farcical musical-comedy-horror films (The Happiness of the Katakuris). He joins us to talk about his life in film on the occasion of his 100 th movie, which the Festival presents as this year s Thrill Gala, the blood-drenched supernatural samurai Blade of the Immortal. (Monday 9 October, 18:15, Curzon Soho) More Screen Talks will be announced in the lead-up to the Festival. PRESS & INDUSTRY SCREENINGS AND DELEGATE PACKAGES The Festival presents almost 200 Press and Industry Screenings for delegates and its Meet the Buyer day provides a unique opportunity for visiting international sales agents to meet the maximum number of UK buyers in the minimum amount of time via a speed-dating style set of one-to-one meetings arranged by the Festival. Services and facilities for industry delegates include an industry extranet; a range of delegate passes; press and industry screenings, a Digital Viewing Library and West End and South Bank networking hubs.

7 The LFF Accreditation Centre is located in the Atrium at the BFI Southbank and opens on 5 October. The Digital Viewing Library hosted by Cinando is a streaming service and will have viewing stations in the Accreditation Centre as well as being accessible online. The BFI London Film Festival industry programme is supported by the Mayor of London through Film London. TIMETABLE NETWORK@LFF / 4-9 Oct Does Gen X Give a Damn about the Big Screen? / 5 Oct 11:00-12:30 / Blue Room, BFI Southbank Understanding Brexit: What we know, what we don't yet know & what we are doing about it / 5 Oct 15:30-17:00 / Picturehouse Central, Screen 4 Recreating Reality: the Road to the VFX Oscar / 6 Oct 09:30-10:30 / Vue Leicester Square The Chicken and the Egg Problem Casting and the Greenlight / 6 Oct 15:30-17:00 / Picturehouse Central Screen 4 LFF CONNECTS: Julian Rosefeldt & Cate Blanchett / 6 Oct NFT1 21:00 / BFI SB LFF CONNECTS: Nitin Sawhney / 7 Oct 14:45 / Vue Leicester Square, Screen 7 LFF CONNECTS: Ian McEwan / 8 Oct 15:40 / Curzon Soho Who s in your Crew? / 9 Oct 15:30-17:00 / Picturehouse Central, Screen 4 Film London Production Finance Market and Micro Market / 9-11 Oct / Grange Tower Bridge Hotel Inside the BFI Film Fund / 10 Oct 15:30-17:00 / Picturehouse Central, Screen 2 LFF CONNECTS: Johan Knattrup Jensen / 10 Oct 18:15 / NFT3, BFI Southbank LFF CONNECTS: David Fincher / 10 Oct 21:00 / NFT1, BFI Southbank The Future of Public Film Funding / 11 Oct 15:30-17:00 / Picturehouse Central, Screen 2 LFF CONNECTS: Demis Hassabis / 11 Oct 15:45 / NFT3, BFI Southbank Feathers, Fabrics and Fantasy Worlds: the Magic of Costume Design / 12 Oct 15:30-17:00 / Picturehouse Central, Screen 4 Busting the Bias: Everyday inclusion of disabled people on and behind the screen / 13 Oct 10:00-12:30 / Blue Room, BFI Southbank Colette Geraghty, PR Advisor, Industry & Corporate Colette.Geraghty@bfi.org.uk / Tina McFarling, Media Advisor, Corporate, Partnerships & Industry Tina.McFarling@bfi.org.uk / Judy Wells, Head of Press and PR, BFI Judy.Wells@bfi.org.uk /

8 NOTES TO EDITORS About the BFI The BFI is the lead body for film in the UK with the ambition to create a flourishing film environment in which innovation, opportunity and creativity can thrive by: Connecting audiences to the widest choice of British and World cinema Preserving and restoring the most significant film collection in the world for today and future generations Championing emerging and world class film makers in the UK - investing in creative, distinctive and entertaining work Promoting British film and talent to the world Growing the next generation of film makers and audiences The BFI is a Government arm s-length body and distributor of Lottery funds for film. The BFI serves a public role which covers the cultural, creative and economic aspects of film in the UK. It delivers this role: As the UK-wide organisation for film, a charity core funded by Government By providing Lottery and Government funds for film across the UK By working with partners to advance the position of film in the UK. Founded in 1933, the BFI is a registered charity governed by Royal Charter. The BFI Board of Governors is chaired by Josh Berger CBE. The BFI London Film Festival BFI London Film Festival is Britain's leading film event and one of the world's best film festivals. It introduces the finest new British and international films to an expanding London and UK-wide audience and attracts significant international film industry participation. LFF is a compelling combination of diverse films, red carpet glamour, friendly audiences and vibrant exchange. LFF provides an essential profiling opportunity for films seeking global success; promotes the careers of British and international filmmakers through its industry and awards programmes and positions London as the world s leading creative city. Clare Stewart biography Clare Stewart s 20 year programming career has encompassed leadership roles as Festival Director, Sydney Film Festival ( ) and the inaugural Head of Film Programs at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image in Melbourne ( ) as well as various roles at the Australian Film Institute ( ), including Exhibition Manager, and programmer and Committee Member of the Melbourne Cinémathèque ( ). She has been BFI Head of Festivals and BFI London Film Festival Director since October About American Express American Express is a diversified worldwide travel, financial and network services company founded in It is a leader in charge and credit cards, Travellers Cheques, travel and insurance products. Through American Express Invites, Cardmembers have access to enriched experiences at some of the UK s most sought after entertainment events, including best seats, exclusive offers and early-on-sale tickets. The company has multi - year partnerships with a range of entertainment institutions including AEG, Live Nation, Ticketmaster, Somerset House, The British Film Institute and National Theatre. For more detail on the enriched service American Express offers its Cardmembers, please visit americanexpress.co.uk/whyamex or connect with AmericanExpressUK on Facebook or